Multnomah County to open cooling centers during extreme heat Thursday, Friday

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – Multnomah County will open two daytime cooling centers for those seeking relief from extreme heat as temperatures rise to nearly triple digits starting Thursday.

Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson declared a state of emergency effective 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5. In response, the county will open cooling centers at Cook Plaza and Portland Covenant Church from noon to 9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

Cook Plaza (Gresham)

Staffed by Cultivate Initiatives
19421 SE Stark St

Portland Covenant Church (Portland)

Staffed by Do Good Multnomah
4046 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Additionally, Multnomah County Library will extend its hours on Thursday and Friday at its Central and Gresham locations until 8 p.m. Transition Projects ’ Bud Clark Commons Resource Center is also expected to extend its hours to 6:30 p.m.

Multnomah County officials say cooling centers will not open Sept. 4 because “it will not be warm enough to meet thresholds” to open the centers, though temperatures are expected to exceed 90 degrees mid-day.

These high temperatures can be especially dangerous for people living, working and playing outdoors as well as elderly residents who live alone without air conditioning.

“Heat does not affect everyone equally,’’ Health Officer Dr. Richard Bruno said. “Of the 85 people who died of heat between 2021 and 2023, two out of three were men over age 50. Most individuals died alone at home or in their apartment without air conditioning.”

Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.